Experience the rise of the Dark Knight in a prequel set several years before the events of Batman: Arkham Asylum and Batman: Arkham City.

Take on Gotham City’s most dangerous villains in the threatening environment of Blackgate Prison.

Discover more details of Batman’s past in Batman: Arkham Origins for PS3, then continue your game on the move with Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate for PS Vita.

Jailhouse rock

In Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate, the Dark Knight returns to the magnificently gloomy industrial prison complex of Blackgate Penitentiary, where a mysterious explosion has freed some of Gotham City’s most malevolent criminals.

Set a few months after the events of Batman: Arkham Origins on PlayStation 3, this latest instalment in the hit series sees the caped crusader confronted by a slew of new villains, including the alluring Grey DeLisle – aka Catwoman – and martial arts master Bronze Tiger. It’s Batman’s job to put these and other rioting wrongdoers back in their cages, but that won’t be easy with the different sectors of the prison now ruled over by a trio of evil arch-nemeses: Black Mask, Penguin and The Joker.

A classic comic book adventure with a deadly edge, Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate pitches you into a world of chaos and combat where strength and stealth are key to survival. Fast, furious and brimming with brutal bad guys, the plot is cleverly designed to keep you guessing right up until the final showdown. Can you find out who is behind the madness at Blackgate – and do you have what it takes to restore law and order along the way?

Back to black

The visuals are stunning, with fluidly animated characters running, gliding and grappling amid environments as atmospheric and alive as those of any Batman movie. The Gotham City rooftops look incredible, a warren of fire escapes and window-ledges bathed in the flickering glow of giant neon signs, while Blackgate Penitentiary is a jailhouse to give even the most stout-hearted of superheroes the jitters. Darkened corridors and deserted cells make for a brilliantly bleak ambiance, and provide the perfect setting for the Dark Knight to knock some heads together.

The PS Vita system’s touchscreen also comes into its own, as you use it to explore each environment and uncover all manner of hidden objects. Weapons, tools and secret rewards are scattered liberally throughout the stages, so once you’re done busting skulls, it’s time to get down to some detective work…

Gotham City super stars

One of the joys of Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate is the sheer number of wild and wonderful characters you’ll recognise from the comic books. Batman himself takes centre stage, of course, but for all his power and prowess, he faces some stiff opposition from the army of super villains ranged against him.

The first he encounters is Catwoman, who teases and tantalises the caped crusader in a frantic chase across the Gotham rooftops. Soon enough she’s caught and thrown into jail – but after the explosion at Blackgate, she and a whole heap of murderous misfits are back in the mix, and most share one aim: to stop Batman from putting them back behind bars.

The best part is, you don’t need to be a comic book expert to recognise many of the infamous evildoers hell-bent on Batman’s destruction, from legendary lunatic The Joker to lumbering zombie monster Solomon Grundy. A whole cast of crooks is present and correct, and they all play their part in the wider plot – so you can expect plenty of terrific dialogue and a ton of cool animated cut-scenes which establish each bad guy’s importance to the story. Get ready to face off against Gotham’s worst and weirdest offenders.

Prison break

The 2.5D part is important. The game’s environments twist and turn in different directions, and one of the most enjoyable aspects of the adventure is finding the path ahead – even if that means rappelling to a building in the background or gliding between distant platforms. Batman’s range of actions is spectacular, and makes stalking and surprising bad guys an endless source of pleasure, while the touchscreen controls bring an enthralling extra dimension to the action, allowing you to hunt for clues and hidden items in each new area.

The vicious Blackgate inmates are everywhere, of course, and they don’t take kindly to Batman’s attempts to end their newfound freedom. Fortunately, fighting them off is great fun – the caped crusader has some dazzling martial arts techniques at his disposal. As you progress through the game, you’ll discover a huge assortment of handy gadgets and high-tech Wayne Industries weapons with which to devastate low-level thugs and notorious boss characters alike.

The plot is fed out at an expert pace, and the way the story weaves in and out of the action means you’re always just around the corner from some new mystery or revelation. In that sense, Batman Arkham Origins: Blackgate beautifully mirrors the excitement and suspense of reading a real comic book – while adding plenty of super-powered thrills and spills of its own for good measure.